Thinking is the talking of the soul with itself.

Anonymous

Module Two: Understanding Critical Thinking

Critical thinking skills are valuable for everyone- they help guide us
through a world of information. While we are consistently
thinking throughout the day, our critical thinking skills may
provide us with the greatest value. Critical thinking is all about
ensuring people make the best choices based on the best
information. It involves the consideration of reasoning, logic and
reflective thinking to form sound arguments and decisions.
Whether in your personal life, or in your professional career, it is
important to be able to form rational arguments that support
your beliefs.

Defining Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is more than just thinking. It involves a deeper level of thinking
that goes beyond our everyday basic thoughts. To think critically means to
question ideas and conclusions, by analyzing, assessing and reconstructing
concepts. Critical thinking helps you to determine which actions are necessary
to create the best solution to your problems. A critical thinker does not accept
facts at face value; instead, they analyze these facts to gain a thorough
understanding of the topic at hand. As a result, critical thinking can encourage
individuals to be open-minded, and gain better control over their own learning.

Thinking critically includes asking questions, including:

• What is happening?

• Why is this important?

• Who is saying this?

• How do I know?

• What other possibilities exist?

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Estimated Time 7 minutes

To define critical thinking and determine relevant questions to thinking

Topic Objective
critically.

Critical thinking involves questioning ideas and conclusions, by analyzing,

Topic Summary
assessing and reconstructing concepts.

Materials Required Flipchart/board, markers

Planning Checklist None

Have participants discuss the definition of critical thinking. What words

Recommended Activity can be associated with this process? Write answers on the
flipchart/board.

Brief History of Critical Thinking, excerpt by the Critical Thinking

Community

“Socrates set the agenda for the tradition of critical thinking, namely, to
reflectively question common beliefs and explanations, carefully
distinguishing those beliefs that are reasonable and logical from those
which — however appealing they may be to our native egocentrism,
however much they serve our vested interests, however comfortable or
comforting they may be — lack adequate evidence or rational foundation
to warrant our belief.

Socrates’ practice was followed by the critical thinking of Plato (who

Stories to Share recorded Socrates’ thought), Aristotle, and the Greek skeptics, all of
whom emphasized that things are often very different from what they
appear to be and that only the trained mind is prepared to see through
the way things look to us on the surface (delusive appearances) to the
way they really are beneath the surface (the deeper realities of life). From
this ancient Greek tradition emerged the need, for anyone who aspired to
understand the deeper realities, to think systematically, to trace
implications broadly and deeply, for only thinking that is comprehensive,
well-reasoned, and responsive to objections can take us beyond the
surface.”

Source: http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/a-brief-history-of-the-idea-
of-critical-thinking/408

Delivery Tips Encourage everyone to participate.

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 What is critical thinking?
Review Questions
What is an example of a question that will promote critical thinking?

Importance of a Critical Approach

Everyday decisions have a significant impact on our quality of life. In order to
make good decisions, it is essential to have good critical thinking skills. Critical
thinking can help to ensure that you will live your best, most successful life. It
enables you to better express your beliefs and ideas, while also improving your
communication skills with others. As a result of improved communication,
there will be fewer misunderstandings and frustrations.

No matter your path or profession, critical thinking skills will always be relevant and favorable to your
success. Our economy depends on information and innovation, in which strong thinking skills are
required to build these strategies. Although we often fail to notice the importance of these skills in our
everyday life, they are one of the most desirable skills for the workplace. Employers will often look for
candidates who evaluate problems using logical thoughts, since they are more likely to offer the best
solutions to these problems. A critical thinker is trusted to make independent decisions, as well as
work with others to solve problems quickly and efficiently.

Estimated Time 10 minutes

To determine the importance of using a critical approach in your

Topic Objective
decision-making process.

Critical thinking can help to ensure that you will live your best, most
Topic Summary
successful life- no matter your path or profession.

Materials Required Worksheet 1: What If?

Planning Checklist Provide enough worksheet printouts for all participants.

Have participants complete Worksheet 1: What If?

Recommended Activity
Allow time to discuss worksheet responses.

Stories to Share Share any personal, relevant stories.

Delivery Tips Encourage everyone to participate.

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 Review Questions Why is critical thinking important for the economy?

When to Think Critically

Although critical thinking is necessary in today’s world, it is not necessary to
think critically all of the time. Opportunities arise in our daily lives in which we
need to face problems and decisions using powerful critical thinking abilities.
When the outcome of the situation or problem will make a significant
difference to you, a critical approach should be applied to the situation. Think
about whether it may be life altering or if it will matter to you in the future. If
critical thinking is not applied to important situations, it can result in a loss of
financial resources, opportunities, relationships, or various other aspects in life.

There are many instances in life in which critical thinking should be applied. Examples of when to think
critically include:

• Choosing your career path- Weighing out the pros and cons of your career options.

• Evaluating specific online information- Assessing sources and publications.

• Risk Assessment- Considering legal consequences, profits, or injuries.

• Talent hiring- Using objectivity, and avoiding biases, such as age or gender.

• Purchasing decisions- Considering your money budget or reading reviews.

Estimated Time 8 minutes

Topic Objective To recognize opportunities of when to apply your critical thinking skills.

A critical approach should be applied to any situation in which the

Topic Summary
outcome of the problem will make a significant difference to you.

Materials Required Flipchart/board, markers

On the flipchart/board, draw a T chart with the headings Critical Thinking

Planning Checklist
and Non-Critical Thinking.

Have participants review the examples of when to think critically. Ask

Recommended Activity participants to identify when it is necessary to use these skills, and when
it is not necessary. List these responses on the T-Chart.

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 Stories to Share Share any personal, relevant stories.

Delivery Tips Encourage everyone to participate.

What can happen if critical thinking is not applied to important

Review Questions
situations?

The Role of Logic

Logical skills are significant for rationalizing important decisions. There is a
strong relationship between logic and critical thinking; Logic is applied to a
critical thinking situation, in which logic helps to separate truth from
falsehood. Logic is the branch of philosophy that gives the rules for deriving
valid conclusions. A conclusion is valid if it results from statements that are
accepted as facts. For example, a logical statement might be 1+1 = 2. If a
statement does not follow the rules, it is said to be illogical.

Logic can be applied to critical thinking to distinguish between good or bad reasoning. Logical thinking
is a process which involves steps. In general, logical thinking involves checking the components of the
argument and making connections between them, which is what we call reasoning.

The four major steps of logical thinking are:

• Asking the Right Questions: The logical thinker should begin reasoning by asking many
questions, such as “What are the premises?” If we are confused about the premises, we may
make mistakes further down the line in the logic process. It’s important to check to see if any
premises or vital information is missing. No conclusions can be made without premises.

• Organizing Data: We can organize the information by making connections. An effective

method of organizing data includes breaking up the information and diagramming, or laying
out the premises.

• Evaluating the Information: After organizing the information, the logical thinker can proceed
with evaluating it. Evaluating information involves determining whether the information is
valid. Conclusions cannot be made until a distinction is made between truth and validity.

• Drawing Conclusions: Once the data has been collected, organized, and evaluated, we can
then draw conclusions. The logical thinker should infer only what the data implies, check to
ensure inferences are consistent, and identify underlying assumptions.

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Estimated Time 10 minutes

To identify the relationship between logic and critical thinking, and

Topic Objective
determine the four major steps of logical thinking.

There is a strong relationship between logic and critical thinking; Logic

Topic Summary can be applied to critical thinking to distinguish between good or bad
reasoning.

Materials Required Flipchart/board, markers

Planning Checklist None

Have participants work alone to complete the logic problem. Then,

reconvene as a group.

State: “Jerry is taller than Charles, but not as tall as Bob. Bob is taller than
Jerry, but not as tall as Daniel. Who is the tallest and the second tallest?”

Give the participants 2 minutes to work out this problem. Then, have a
Recommended Activity learner come up and solve it (2 minutes). Discuss the problem as a group
and methods used to solve the logic problem.

Now, ask the participants to come up with their own logic problem. Have
someone volunteer to come up to the flip chart and write their logic
problem down.

Answer: Order of tallest to shortest: Daniel, Bob, Jerry, and Charles.

Stories to Share Share any personal, relevant stories.

Delivery Tips Encourage everyone to participate.

Review Questions What are the four major steps of critical thinking?

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Applying Reason
An individual’s ability to reason well is considered a critical thinking skill. Many
of the definitions of critical thinking tend to focus on a person’s ability to
reason. Reasoning occurs when we use our knowledge of one thing, process,
or statement, to determine if another thing, process, or statement is true.
Reasoning will help to strengthen your ability to draw logical, sensible
conclusions. When we apply reasoning, we use logic to determine “what
follows what.” Human reasoning does not always follow logic and can often be
based on emotional bias.

The two main forms of reasoning include:

• Deductive Reasoning: When we use our prior knowledge of two or more premises to infer a
valid conclusion.

• Inductive Reasoning: When we gather data or make observations that lead to a hypothesis or
conclusion (much like the scientific method).

Estimated Time 10 minutes

Topic Objective To define reasoning in relation to critical thinking.

Reasoning occurs when we use our knowledge of one thing, process, or

Topic Summary
statement, to determine if another thing, process, or statement is true.

Materials Required Worksheet 2: Logical Reasoning

Planning Checklist Provide enough worksheet printouts for all participants.

Have participants work in partners to complete Worksheet 2: Logical

Recommended Activity Reasoning.

Share worksheet responses.

Much of the reasoning we do is of the probability sort. Think about when

we get up in the morning and decide what to wear. We do so based on
Stories to Share
the weather. We often check the forecast and see what the probability is
for rain, snow, or sunshine.

Delivery Tips Encourage everyone to participate.

Review Questions What are the two main forms of reasoning?

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Practical Illustration
Jim and Betsy, who work in HR, were asked to complete and evaluate
interviews for a new hire with the company. After the interviews were
completed, Jim suggested that they should hire his close friend, however Betsy
did not agree with Jim. Betsy told Jim that they should use critical thinking and
proper reasoning to determine who would be the best candidate for the job.
She reminded Jim of the importance of being objective and avoiding any biases
when making this decision. Afterall, this would be an important decision that
would make a significant difference to the company.

The two sat down and began analyzing their notes from the interviews. With careful consideration and
evaluation, Jim and Betsy were able to conclude that Mark would be the best candidate for the
position. He approached the interview with professionalism, confidence, and displayed excellent
critical thinking skills with the interview questions.

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Module Two: Review Questions
1) What is the goal of critical thinking?

a) To ensure that your voice is heard

b) To reflect on your mistakes so that they don’t happen again
c) To ensure that people make the best choices based on the best information
d) To make decisions based solely on what you already know

Critical thinking is all about ensuring people make the best choices based on the best
information.

2) A critical thinker will accept facts at face value.

a) True
b) False

A critical thinker does not accept facts at face value; instead, they analyze these facts to gain a
thorough understanding of the topic at hand.

3) What is critical thinking?

a) The process of forming decisions based on our biases

b) The act of finding faults in another person’s argument
c) The act of formulating a response while listening to a speaker
d) The process of questioning ideas and conclusions, by analyzing, assessing and
reconstructing concepts

Critical thinking is the process of questioning ideas and conclusions, by analyzing, assessing and
reconstructing concepts.

4) When should a critical approach be applied to a situation?

a) All of the time

b) When you are looking for facts
c) When you are in an argument
d) When the outcome will make a significant difference to you

A critical approach should be applied to the situation when the outcome of the situation or
problem will make a significant difference to you.

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5) What can result without the use of critical thinking?

a) Loss of financial resources

b) Loss of relationships
c) Loss of opportunities
d) All of the above

If critical thinking is not applied to important situations, it can result in a loss of financial
resources, opportunities, relationships, or various other aspects in life.

6) What is logic?

a) The ability to see things from another person’s perspective

b) The act of being able to challenge your sources
c) The branch of philosophy that gives the rules for deriving valid conclusions
d) None of the above

Logic is the branch of philosophy that gives the rules for deriving valid conclusions.

7) Logical thinking involves checking the components of the argument and making connections
between them, which is what we call __________.

a) Analysis
b) Non-linear thinking
c) Thinking in reverse
d) Reasoning

Logical thinking involves checking the components of the argument and making connections
between them, which is what we call reasoning.

8) Which of the following is not a major step for logical thinking?

a) Asking the right questions

b) Making assumptions
c) Organizing the data
d) Drawing conclusions

The four major steps to logical thinking include asking the right questions, organizing the data,
evaluating the information, and drawing conclusions.

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9) _________ reasoning is when we gather data or make observations that lead to a hypothesis
or conclusion (much like the scientific method).

a) Deductive
b) Abductive
c) Analogical
d) Inductive

Inductive reasoning is when we gather data or make observations that lead to a hypothesis or
conclusion (much like the scientific method).

10) ________ reasoning is when we use our prior knowledge of two or more premises to infer a
valid conclusion.

a) Deductive
b) Abductive
c) Analogical
d) Inductive

Deductive reasoning is when we use our prior knowledge of two or more premises to infer a
valid conclusion.

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Sample Worksheet 1

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Icebreaker: A New Leader
PURPOSE
To help participants get acquainted and start talking to each other.

MATERIALS REQUIRED

1. Index cards

PREPARATION

Write the name of a different famous person on five or six index cards. Some examples: Madonna, Tiger
Woods, Lance Armstrong, Nelson Mandela, Bill Gates, Angelina Jolie.

Divide participants into groups of four to six. Give each group one of the cards.

ACTIVITY

Tell participants that the president of their company (or the head of their department) has resigned and
the position is now being taken over by the person on their index card. Ask each group to think of one
characteristic of this person that will help him or her do well in this new role.

After a few minutes, ask the groups to report on what they decided.

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CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION
[Name]
Has mastered the course

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Critical Thinking
Awarded this _______ day of ______e____, 20___
Presenter Name and Title